Fishing at Bikerace Lake, Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Bikerace Lake stands in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The water sits 337 metres up. The water covers some 28 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Shoreline comes to about 4.6 km, small enough to learn in a day. Head to Longlac, 27 km away, for anything you forgot. Geraldton follows at 32 km, then Greenstone at 46 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Bikerace Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Public occurrence data for Thunder Bay District names cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt, bloater and shortjaw cisco. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Work Bikerace Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 16°C in July and bottom out at -18°C in January. The year here is short and sharp: a long lid, then a burst of open water. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early May. Average temperatures cross freezing around early May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. At Bikerace Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Peden Lake at 1.5 km is the sensible second choice. Confirm access to Bikerace Lake locally before you travel.